Preparation for Funeral Ceremony in Toraja

Preparation for Funeral Ceremony in Toraja

Lantang is build in between the rice burn

When toraja people passed away, usually he/she will not be directly buried at that same day. In general, funeral ceremony are held after all the family and close relatives have come to pay their last respects to the family members who passed away.

If the person who passed away is comes from a large family who mostly living outside Toraja, the funeral ceremony is then usually postponed, wait for school holidays so that all families and relatives can go back to Toraja with their children.

Melantang process

Be prepared to accommodate all family members going home to attend the funeral ceremony, before the funeral time is held, the family and the local community will work together to make temporary accommodation (read: Lantang, in Toraja). The process of making Lantang is called Melantang.

Two tiers Lantang

On the first day of Melantang, usually all the local people will come to help, and the family will provide food, drink and cigarette. In general the family provides buffalo to be slaughtered and be prepared for lunch because of many families and local people who come to help.

Lantang is built all around the house complex

The number of Lantang prepared, determined by how big is the location which can be used and the number of families who are expected to attend the funeral ceremony. Time required to complete the accommodation is determined by the amount of lantang, availability of materials, and the number of relatives and local communities who comes to help. While the models and forms of Lantang are determined based on social level of the deceased and the family.

That is a little review about Melantang process in Toraja. Hopefully it will give a new knowledge about Toraja.

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